Engine-generator unit



Dec. 2, 1941. L. w, MELCHER ENGINE-GENERATOR UNIT :5 Shets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 20, 1939 huu 1941. w. MELCHER I 2,264,950

ENGINE-GENERATOR UNIT Filed Nov. 20, 1959 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 hue/2Z7 f M112 (View Dec. 2, 1941. L, w, MELHER 2,264,950

ENGINE-GENERATOR UNIT Filed Nov. 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec.2, 1.941 I ENGINE-GENERATOR. UNIT Lee W. Melcher, Oconomowoc, Wis,assignorto Waukesha Motor Company, Waukesha, Wis, a. corporation ofWisconsin Application November 20, 1939, Serial No. 305,326

, '4 Claims. The present invention relates generally tounits likevehicles. More particularly the invention relates to that type of unitwhich comprises an T for supplying electric current to the various orsundry electrical appliances of railroad cars or internal combustionengine and an engine driven electric generator and is mounted orsuspended beneath the bottom of the body of the railroad car with whichthe unit is associated.

One object of the invention is 'to provide a Figure 1 is a fragmentaryside view of-a railroad car' having applied to the under side of thebody thereof an-engine-generator unit embody ing the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section of the car showing the'unit'in its normal or operative position beneath the bottom of the carbody;

Figure 3 is another fragmentary transverse section of the car showingthe unit in'its inspection railroad car engine-generator unit of. thistype which is generally of new and improved construction and has amounting associated therewith wherebyit is shiftable bodily back andforth between a normal Operating position under the car body and aninspection or repair position at one side of the car body.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a railroad car unit of thetype and character under consideration which embodies a box-like housingof novel design and also embodies simple and improved means for coolingthe engine and the generator. v

A further object of the invention is the provision in connection with arailroad car enginegenerator unit of the aforementioned type of aninclined cylinder beneath the carbottom and with liquid fuel underpressure therein, such for example as propane; and a system including aflexible conduit for delivering at a predetermined and uniform pressurefuel vapor from the top of the cylinder to the carburetor of the engine,together with a heater for vaporizing the liquid fuel in the cylinderwhen low atmospheric temperatures are encountered, and novel means forconducting the exhaust gases or products of which occupies but acomparatively small space and is efiicient in operation.

I inder;

or repair position at one side of the car body;

Figure 4 is a plan-view of the unit showing detail the design andconstruction of the conduit means for delivering the exhaust gases orproducts of combustion from the exhaust manifold of the engine to theheater for the fuel cyl- Figure 5 is a vertical'longitudinal section onthe line 5--5 of Figure 4; and I a Figure 61s a longitudinalsection ofthe fuel cylinder.

" The unit which is shown in the drawings constitutes the preferredembodiment of the invention and comprises an internal combustion en gineI and an electric generator 8. It'is shown or illustrated in connectionwith a railroad pas-- senger car C and-serves to supply thevariouselectrical appliances of the car with current. The

car C, 'as shown in Figure 1, comprises a body Otherobjects of theinvention and the vari- I ous advantages and characteristics of thepresent railroad car engine-generator unit will be apparent from aconsideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are flywheel on one end of the crank shaft.

0 with a pair of track-engaging wheel equipped trucks 0 at its ends.vThe car'body c embodies a fiat bottom 0 which together with a pair ofopposed window equipped sides 0 and c and a roof 0 defines a passengercompartment. The lower portions of the sides of the car bodyprojectbeneath the bottom 0 so as to form a'partially closed compartmentc? beneath the. bottom. The engine-generator unit is normally disposedin this compartment 0 beneath the bottom of the car body c. and isencased within and supported by a boxlike housing 9.

The engine 1 is of conventional or standard design and comprises a waterjacketed cylinder block it, a crank case H and a flywheel housing l2. Italso comprises av crank shaft and pistons and valves (not shown). Thecrank case is disposed beneath the cylinder block and supports the crankshaft as well understood in the art. The flywheel housing I2 is fixed-tothe crank case and cylinder block and houses a In addition tothecylinder block and other. hereinbeforementioned parts the engine 1comprises an intake manifold l3 and an exhaust manifold H. The intakemanifold has a carburetor l5 It extends lengthwise of the carC forsupplying it with a mixture of fuel gas and air and embodies a pluralityor set of branches which serve to supply the mixture into the cylindersvia valve controlled inlet ports in the cylinder block. The exhaustmanifold I4 is located is positioned at the end oi the engine that isopdriven inconnection with operation of the engine it draws air throughthe opening 35 and the radiator I1 and then forces the air out of theengine compartment 33 via the opening 31 in the housing bottom wall 23.The side and top walls or the housing have openings 33 therein toprovide access to the interior of theengine compartment 33 andthese'openings are normally closed by removable panels 39. A control box49 for the engine is mounted on the outer side wall 25 o! the housing,as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The

generator compartment 34 has an open bottom and is partially open at thesides thereof. The end wall 3| is comparatively short with the resultthat the outer end of the generatorcompartment is open, as shown inFigure 5. The generator is posite the flywheel housing l2 and hasthe-upper end thereof connectedto the top of the water jacket by a hoseconnection It. A hose connection l9 extends between the bottom of theradiator and the bottom of the water jacket and completes the coolingcircuit. An engine driven pump at one side of the engine serves tocirculate the water in the circuit and an engine driven fan between theradiator and the adjacent end of the engine operates to draw air throughthe radiator'ior water cooling purposes.

The generator 8 is positioned in longitudinal alignment with the engineI and comprise a cylindrical casing 2| with a closed outer end 22. Theinner end of the generator casing is bolted or otherwise fixedly securedto the flywheel housing |2 of the engine. 2| the generator 8 comprises astationary field 23 and an armature 24. The latter are mounted withinthe casing 2| and operate in response to drive of the armature togenerate electric current. One end of the armature shaft .is journalledin a bearing (not shown) on the central portion of the outer end 22 ofthe generator casing and the other end of the armature shaft isconnectedto the flywheel carrying end of the engine crank shaft.Flexible conductors 25 lead from the generator to storage batteries (notshown) in or under the body of the railroad car C and operate duringoperation of the generator to supply current to the batteries forenergizing walls and 3| and a cross partition 32, all of which aresuitably secured together to form a rigid structure. The crpss partition32, as shown in Figure 5, is disposed substantially midway between thetwo end walls 30 and 3| of the housing and divides the housing into anengine compartcrosspiece 4|.

In addition to the casing merit 33 at one end thereof and a generatorcom- 5 partment 34 at the other end. The engine 'I is disposed in theengine compartment 33 and is fixedly or rigidly secured in place. Theend wall 30 of the housing embodies a rectangular opening therein andthe radiator H of the cooling circuit is positioned directly behindvthis opening.

as shown in Figure 5. Vertically spaced horizonsubstantially fullyexposed and is supported by a The latter depends from the top wall 29and extends between and is secured to the two side walls of the housing.Bolts 42 extend through the crosspiece and into internally threadedbosses 43 on the top portion of the gen erator casing 2| and serve tohold the generator casing in connected relation with the housing 3. Thecasing 2| of ,the generator has an annular series of laterally spacedlongitudinally extending ribs 44 on its side wall and is adatped to becooled by means of a fan wheel 45. The latter is disposed outwardly ofthe closed outer end 22 cr me casing 2|. It is connected to the outerend. oi, and is driven by, the generator armature shaft and is housedwithin a cup shaped shell 45. This shell, as shown in Figure 5,comprises a circular end wall 41 and a cylindrical side wall 48. Theside wall surrounds the outer end and central portions of the-side wallof the generator casing 2| and is clamped in place by mean of a clampingband 49. The circular end wall 41 has air inlet openings 50 therein.When the fan wheel 45 is driven in connection with drive of thegenerator air is drawn into the shell 46 through the openings 50. and iscaused to flow first over the casing end22 and then inwardly over theside wall of the casing. The inner end of the side wall 48 of the shell45 terminates inwardly oi the inner end of the generator casing with theresult that the airwhich is drawn into the shell by the fan wheel 45 isdischarged to atmosphere after it flows past the outer and centralportions of the side wall of the generator casing. By reason or the factthat the fanwheel 45 moves th air for cooling the generator inopposition to the air stream emanating from the engine compartment 33via the'opening 31 in the housing bottom wall 28 there is no likelihoodof the generator being subjected to heated air. The cross partition 32of the housing 9. separates the generator from the engine and preventsany heated air in the engine compartment 33 from flowing into thegenerator compartment 34. It is substantially imperforate and has a hole5| in which the flywheel housing I2 of the engine fits snugly. Theexhaust pipe l5 extends into the generator compartment 34 through a hole52 in the cross partition 32 or the ing position in the partially closedcompartment The discharge end of the exhaust removable or detachableouter sections 58.

inner sections are channel shaped as far ascross in its normaloperating, position.

to an inspection or repair position wherein it is disposed outwardly ofthe side 0 of the car body c. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bottomportion of the-side c of the car body is cut awayv at a point adjacentthe housing 9 to form a doorway 0'' leading to the compartment 0 A door0 with a hinge c at the top thereof serves normally to close the doorwayc. When access is desired to the compartment c beneath the bottom of thecar body '0 the door c is swung out-. wardly and upwardly, as shown inFigure 3. The tracks 55 comprise fixed inner sections 51 and The sectiondesign is concerned and are suspended from the bottom c of the car bodyby way of brackets 59. They are positioned transversely of the railroadcar C and together with the wheels 56 .support the unit when the latteris in its normal position. The brackets 59 support the fixed inner tracksections so that they are substantially in alignment with the ends ofthe doorway c" in the lower portion of the side 0 of the car body. Thewheels 56 are four in number and are located at the upper cornerportions of the and prevent the latter from being transmitted from theengine-generator unit to the body 0 of the railroad car C. The outertrack sections 58 are adapted when the door 0 is in its open position tobe attached to and to form continuations of the inner track sections 51.They are channel shaped in cross section and have hooks 5 2 inwardly oftheir inner extremities. The hooks, as shown in Figure 3, are designedto have hooked engagement with transversely extend- The tracks 55 andthe wheels 56 constitute or exemplify simple means for supporting the vengine-generator unit so that it is shiftable bodily back and forthbetween its normal operating position beneath the bottom of the car bodyand its inspection or repair position to one side of the car body.

- The engine 1 is supplied with fuel by way of a fuel cylinder 55 and asystem for deliver ing fuel from the cylinder to'the carburetor l5 forthe engine l. The cylinder 65 is adapted to contain liquid fuel underpressure such, for example, as propane. ing 61 at one side of theboxlike housing 9 for the engine-generator unit and comprises acylindrical side wall, a round bottom wall and a top open position inconnection with replacement. of

ing pins 53 on the outer ends of the inner track sections 51 and co-actwith the pins to form removable or detachable connections for securingthe outer track sections 58 in place. When the outer track sections arein place the inner extremities thereof underlie the outer ends of theinner track sections 51 and prevent the outer track sections fromtilting downward. The outer ends of the outer track sections have stops64 for limiting outward movement of the enginegenerator unit. When theouter track sections are in attached or connected relation with'theinner track sections the unit together with its housing 9 may be shiftedbodily from its normal operating position in the compartment c (seeFigure 2) to an inspection or repair position position access may be hadto it by removing the panels 39. Suitable clamping or locking devices(not shown) are associated with the inner track sections 51 and 'servereleasably to hold the unit The outer track sections 58 are adapted whennot in use to be stored in any suitable manner in the compar'tment cbeneath the-bottom of the car body. The flexible conductors 25 forconducting current from the generator 8- to the storage batteries forthe car C are of such lengththat it isthe fuel cylinder. The top wall ofthe cylinder has a reduced outwardly extending cylindrical neck and isclosed by a plug 68. The latter is provided with an outlet valve 59 andan L- shaped pipe 19. The valve is exteriorly disposed with respect tothe plug and is manipulable for opening and closing purposes when thefront wall of the housing fills in its open position. The L-shaped pipe10 extends between the valve 69 and the top of the fuel cylinder andserves to conduct fuel vapor from the cylinder interior to the outletvalve 59. As a result of the arrangement of the pipe 10 no liquid fuelin the cylinder can pass through the outlet valve 69. The system 66serves as a medium for conducting the fuel vapor within the top portionof the cylinder to the carburetor I5 and supplying it to the carburetorunder uniform pressure. It comprises a small pipe H and a large pipe 12.The small pipe leads from the cylinder65 and is connected to receivefuel vapor from the outlet valve 69 by way of a flexible tube 13. Thelarge pipe 12 is disposed in the enginecompartment 33 in the housing 9and receives fuel vapor from the pipe 'II by way of a pressure regulator14, and excess flow valve 15 and a fuel regulator and automatic shut-off16. The pressure regulator 14 is provided with a safety relief valve 11and serves to supply fuel vapor at a constant pressure to the excessflow valve 15. The latter is connected to the fuel regulatorandautomatic shut-off 16 by way of a flexible tube 18 and the latter isofsuificicnt length that it permits the engine-generator unit to beshifted back and forth between its normal operating position and itsinspection position without disconnection or detachment. The fuelregulator and automatic shut-off 16 is disposed in the enginecompartment 33. The flexible tube I8 leads to it and extends through ahole in one of the side walls of the housing 9."

For the purpose of heating the fuel cylinder 65 when temperatures below20 F. are encounteredla hollow heater l9 and a conduit system areprovided. At temperatures below 20 F.

there is not sumcient vaporization of the-liquid fuel in'the cylinder tosupply the engine under full load operation. By heating the cylinder Itis mounted in a housslides out of engagement with the flared inlet ofthe pipe is in surrounding relation with the when low atmospherictemperatures are encountered the necessary vaporization of the liquid inthe cylinder takes place to create a suflicient fuel vapor supply forengine operating purposes. The heater I9 is mounted in the inner portionof the fuel cylinder housing 6! in heat exchange relation with thebottom wall of the fuel cylinder 65 andis adapted as hereinafterdescribed, to have the exhaust gases from the engine I circulatedthrough it for heating purposes. The conduit system 88 constitutes themedium for supplying the exhaust gascs from the engine to the heater [9.It embodies a fixed pipe 8| and includes the exhaust pipe l6. The pipe8| is suitably supported beneath the bottom of the car body 0 and hasaflared inlet end 82. The latter is located in alignment with thedischarge piece 54 of the exhaust pipe i6 and fits around such piecewhen the engine-generator unit is in its normal operating position, asshown in Figure 4. When the unit is shifted into its inspection orrepair position the discharge piece 54 end 82 of the pipe 8|. When theunit is in its normal operating position and the inlet end d2 dischargepiece 54 the products of combustion emanating from the engine andflowing through the exhaust pipe I6 pass through the pipe 85.

The outlet end of the pipe 8| is connected to the heater l9 andcommunicates with the interior thereof. An exhaust drain pipe 83' isconnected to the bottom portion of the heater l8. and per mits theexhaust gases to flow to atmosphere after travelling through and heatingthe heater. In order that the exhaust gases may be directly dischargedto atmosphere without passing through the heater when the temperature ofthe surrounding atmosphere is high, 1. e., above 20 F. and hencesuflicient to effect the necessary vaporization of the liquid fuel inthe cyl inder, the discharge end of the pipe 8! is provided with afitting 84. This fitting embodies a pair of branches 85 and 86 and hasin the interior thereof a butterfly type valve 81 for controlling theflow of exhaust gases through the two branches. The branch 85 leads toand communicates with the hollow heater l9 and the branch 86 extendsdownwards and leads to'at-' mosphere. The valve 81 is connected to apivot shaft 88 and is adapted to be swung back and forth between aposition wherein it closes the branch 86 leading to atmosphere and opensthe branch 85 leading to the heater, and a position wherein it closesthe branch 85 and opens the branch 86. A temperature responsive bellows.88 is connected to the pivot shaft 88 by way of a linkage 98 and isadapted so to control the valve that the latter only permits the flow ofexhaust gases to the heater when temperatures below F. are encountered.i v

The operation of the unit is as follows: When the engine I is inoperation and the unit is in its normal operating position wherein it isdisposed within the compartment c beneath the (if suificiently long2,ae4,ouo

ficient rate to take care of the fuel requirements of the engine underfull load operation. If it is desired to inspect or repair the engine orthe generator the door 0 for the doorway c" in the lower portion of theside c of the car body is first swung outwardly and upwardly into anopen position. Thereafter the outer track sections 58 of the tracks areattached to the outer ends 6 of the inner track sections 51 by arrangingthe' hooks 62 intohooked relation with the pins 63 on the outerextremities of the inner track sections'. and is then wheeled outwardsonto the outer track sections 58. When the unit is on such tracksections, as shown in Figure 3 a d h inbefore described, it ispositioned wholly outwards of the car side c and may be inspected orrepaired by removing the removable panels 38. When the unit is shiftedoutwards into its inspection or repair position it is not necessary todisconnect the flexible conductors 25 and flexible tube or hose 18because these are to permit of unrestricted shift of the unit back andforth between its normal and inspection positions. When the unit isshifted back into its normal operating position into the compartment 0the discharge piece 54 at the discharge end of the exsition of. thebutterfly valve Bl in the fitting 34. When the unit is in its normaloperating position-the outer track sections 58 of the tracks 55 aredisconnected or detached from the inner track sections 5'! and aresuitably stored as heretofore described.

The herein described unit occupies but a comparatively small space andis emcient in operation. It is readily accessible for inspection orrepair and imposes no burden other than weight on the locomotive for therailroad car with which it is associated. Preferably the unit ispositioned under the car 0 so that the engine I faces in the directionin which the car is adapted normally to travel. By so positioning theunit the radiator H of the closed water circuit for cooling the engineis at the front of the unitand hence receives a substantial flow of airtherethrough in connection with forward propulsion of the car C.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a vehicle having elec trical apparatus therefor,of a mounting beneath the bottom of the body of the vehicle, ahorizontally elongated cross partition equipped boxlike housing carriedby the mounting and shaped to define a substantially closed enginecompartment at one side of the partition and a generator compartment atthe other side of the partition and with an open bottom and asubstantially open outer end together with substantially open sides, anelectric generator mounted in the generator compartment of the housingand com After this operation the unit is released prising a closedcasing with an armature shaft therein and in addition an armature drivenfan located outwardly of the casing and adjacent the open end of thegenerator compartment and arranged so that when driven it operates toflow air around the casing and toward, the partition, and an internalcombustion engine mounted in the engine compartment and connected todrive the generator.

2. The combination with a vehicle having electrical apparatus therefor,of amounting beneath the bottom of the body of the vehicle, ahorizontally elongated cross partition equipped boxiike housing carriedby the mounting so that it extends lengthwise of the vehicle body, andshaped to form at one side of the partition an engine compartment withan outer end wall opening and a bottom opening and at the other side ofsaid partition a generator compartment with an open bottom and asubstantially open outer end together with substantially open sides, anelectric generator mounted in the generator compartment and comprising aclosed. casing with an armature shaft therein and in addition anarmature driven fan located outwardly of the casing, and adjacent thesubstantially open outer end of the generator compartment and arrangedto flow air around the casing and toward the partition, and an internalcombustion engine in the engine compartment of the housing connected todrive the armature of the generator and having cooling means thereforinthe form of a radiator adjacent the end wall opening and an enginedriven fan behind the radiator and operative when driven to draw-airinto the engine compartment through the radiator and to discharge suchair from said engine compartment via the bottom opening.

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a mounting on the vehicle, aninternal combustion engine provided with an exhaust manifold and carriedby the mounting so that it is shiftable bodily back' and forth between anormal operating positon and an inspection or repair position, acylinder with readily vaporizable liquid fuel under pressure carried bythe vehicle in proximity to the engine and having means associatedtherewith for supplying fuel vapor from it to the engine, a hollowheater in heat exchange relation with the cylinder, and means forautomatically connecting the exhaust manifold of the engine to theheater when the engine is shifted into its normal operating position andautomatically disconnecting said manifold from the heater when theengine is shifted into its inspection or repair position.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of a mounting thereon, an internalcombustion en- .in proximity to the engine andv having means associatedtherewith for supplying fuel vapor from it to the engine, a hollowheater in heat exchange relation with the cylinder, and a fixed pipeleading to the heater and having the inlet end thereof so positioned andarranged that when the engine is shifted into its normal operatingposition the discharge piece of the exhaust pipe is brought intoconnected relation with said inlet end and connection is establishedwhereby the exhaust gases from the engine are delivered to the heaterand when the engine is shifted out of its normal operating position andinto its inspection position said discharge piece moves out of connectedrelation with said inlet end of the fixed pipe and thus breaks said con-

